You’ll need to delve deeply into Windows before you can take advantage of all of its features and capabilities. One of the lesser-known capabilities of the operating system is its ability to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing other devices to connect to it and get online using the same network connection.

There are many times when this can be useful. Maybe you’re traveling and your laptop is connected to a cellular network. In that case, you can create a hotspot and connect your tablet and Kindle, which don’t have a cellular connection.

Or maybe you're struggling to get Wi-Fi everywhere in your home: Your laptop or desktop PC can act as an extender, sharing a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection with everything nearby, extending the range of your router.

There is a slight problem with the Wi-Fi extender scenario, because the hotspot network that Windows creates is separate from the network that your router creates. So you have two Wi-Fi networks at home, not just one. However, it’s not too much of a hassle and certainly doesn’t detract from the benefits it offers.